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Cyberdisc
A Cyberdisc is an enemy in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Description Little is known about Cyberdiscs; they may be robotic creations or living bio-mechanical organisms. They are about the size of a small car, and have been observed transitioning between two configurations in combat: a flat, saucer-like form and a spider-like assault form. It is rare to see multiple Cyberdiscs together, though they are frequently accompanied by Drones. The appearance of a Cyberdisc can be very unsettling for the unprepared player. When a squad lacks firepower such as Beam Weapons, it can be difficult to bring a Cyberdisc down not only because of its high hit points, but also due to Drones repairing the Cyberdisc. Moreover, the Cyberdisc utilizes a very powerful beam weapon that will one-shot soldiers without decent armor. Deployment Cyberdiscs first appear during the fourth month (June), or August if the "Marathon" Second Wave option is enabled. There is a limit of one per mission for the first month only (does not apply to Impossible difficulty or Terror Site missions, where depending on the month all enemy pods can be Cyberdiscs). Their chance of being deployed declines over the following two months (Marathon: from October to December) as new enemy units are introduced. One or more Cyberdiscs will be deployed against the player during the Gangplank mission if the Slingshot DLC is enabled. Assuming the DLC was started as early as possible Cyberdisks will not appear again for a considerable amount of time. Abilities Traits Capturing *Cannot be captured. Research *Cyberdisc Autopsy - Unlocks UFO Tracking (Boost) production. Tactics *While in disc form, Cyberdiscs are much harder to hit, but weapons can still deal damage to them (half damage from ballistics). A recommended tactic is to attack them from afar, before they can close in on your squad. *If a Cyberdisc is sufficiently damaged, it will attempt to retreat to let any nearby Drones repair it; you can prevent it from moving by keeping it suppressed. *Although they appear to be cumbersome in motion, Cyberdiscs have absurdly high mobility, allowing them to traverse as much as half the entire map in one turn. Because of this ability, Cyberdiscs can easily move from distant cover and fire upon a flanked soldier. *Since a Cyberdisc and its accompanying Drones usually group together, using a Rocket Launcher/Blaster Launcher can effectively kill the Drones and deal damage to the Cyberdisc with a single shot; HEAT Ammo will further increase the rocket's damage against both unit types. *Cyberdiscs have an Alien Grenade which they tend to use against grouped up soldiers. If allowed to do so, any destructible cover the squad was behind will be leveled, allowing the accompanying Drones and other enemies to fire upon the weakened and vulnerable soldiers. As with most enemy area-of-effect attacks, the appropriate response is a preemptive one: spacing out soldiers to avoid presenting an attractive area target. *Cyberdiscs have a special close-range area-of-effect attack called "Death Blossom" that can wipe out entire squads; thus, it is recommended to avoid moving too close to them, as they have both this ability and always self-destruct upon destruction. *When a Cyberdisc is destroyed it will self-destruct, creating a concussive blast centered on itself which deals 3 damage to everyone in distance less than 2.5 tiles (distance less or equal 2 tiles in XCOM: Enemy Within). This explosion can eliminate any surviving Drones hovering too closely near the Cyberdisc. Generally, if there are any enemies adjacent to the Cyberdisc (or more precisely, the spot under it, where its wreckage would land), kill the Cyberdisc first if possible and let the explosion injure or kill the other aliens before you shift your focus to them. *With the appropriate upgrades, an Assault could easily scrap a Cyberdisc in one fell swoop: **After a Cyberdisc has attacked, it will remain in assault configuration (open) **Using Run & Gun if necessary, the Assault brings himself/herself within optimal firing range (2-4 tiles, but avoid adjacency due to its death explosion) ***If the Assault has reached Colonel rank, he/she may have Killer Instinct, which confers +50% critical hit chance upon activating Run & Gun **Aggression and Close and Personal at this point will bolster the Assault's chance for critical hits given nearby enemy Drones and proximity to the Cyberdisc, respectively ***The Cyberdisc will already be more susceptible to critical hits in its open mode **Bring 'Em On will add even more critical hit damage given nearby enemy Drones **The Assault uses Rapid Fire to fire twice upon the Cyberdisc ***With all the previously mentioned bonuses and promotions, the Assault should receive a very high chance of a critical hit at the very least **The first shot becomes a critical hit and the Cyberdisc retreats into its shell, adopting its Hardened trait, but loses a great deal of health **The second shot also has a high critical chance, but will deal the killing blow regardless ***If the first shot was miraculously not a critical hit, the second shot, if critical, will finish the job ***Critical hit damage is variable, but a Scatter Laser, which the player should at least have equipped at this point in the game, is sufficient to neutralize the Cyberdisc *The Cyberdisc has the Stun Immune trait and therefore cannot be stunned by the Arc Thrower (Drone Capture is designed to work specifically on Drones only). *Because of its Hardened trait while closed, Cyberdiscs are very hard to score critical hits against; however a Heavy soldier with the HEAT Ammo ability can do sufficient damage to negate the need for a critical hit. *In XCOM: Enemy Within, Cyberdiscs will enter Overwatch when spotted or may even take an automatic reaction shot once the spotting unit has finished moving. *If the Cyberdisc is in its "closed" state but is on Overwatch, the player can open it up by deliberately drawing its fire, after which it will stay open until it takes damage. This is, of course, only viable if the player has an Assault with Lightning Reflexes. Even if the Cyberdisc is already "open" and is on Overwatch, this tactic can be used take even greater advantage by hitting it hard while it is open (which will cause it to close), then using an Assault to draw its fire (which will open it up again), allowing for two attacks with maximum potential critical chance. Multiplayer Cyberdiscs cost 5500 points. Despite their seemingly defensive nature, Cyberdiscs are relatively fragile compared to other units with the same cost. Their strength lies in their high damage output, their mobility, and their ability to throw grenades farther than most other units. Since they cannot benefit from cover, don't let yourself be drawn into a fight with enemies who are behind cover. Keep your Cyberdisc fully hidden behind walls and use it to ambush enemy scouts or close-range fighters. It may be tempting, but never fly your Cyberdisc over an obstacle without scouting it first: Snipers on Overwatch are the bane of the Cyberdisc and will make short work of it. It is vital that you keep the Cyberdisc "closed" at all times, as to the hardened trait is only conferred while closed; in addition, such a strategy will allow for the opportunistic use of death blossom. While the Cyberdisc can cover more ground than any other unit, its slow movement speed consumes a lot of time and is a double-edged sword. On one hand, time may run out before an order can be issued after movement; on the other, this may be used to run down the clock and end a match prematurely in your favor. Good Against : Scouts (Sectoid, Floater), units that don't receive cover bonuses (MEC Trooper , Mechtoid). Bad Against : Snipers, units on Overwatch. Notes * Although having material - non-psionic - ranged attack weaponry, both close and long range, none of its weapons seem to produce the green plasma projectiles common among alien weaponry. Trivia A Cyberdisc in its open assault form closely resembles the Nautilus marine mollusc. Gallery Concept_-_Cyberdisc.jpg|Concept art XCOM(EU) Cyberdisk.jpg|"Closed" disc form. XCOM(EU) Cyberdisk opens.jpg|"Open" assault form. XCOM(EU) Cyberdisk TakesAim.jpg|A Cyberdisc prepares to fire. XEU Cyberdisc grenade attack.jpg|A Cyberdisc about to Bombard with an Alien Grenade. XEU Cyberdisc in forest.jpg|A Cyberdisc ready to attack. XCOMxbig.jpeg|A soldier takes cover from open and closed Cyberdiscs. Category:Aliens (XCOM: Enemy Unknown) Category:Aliens (XCOM: Enemy Within)